Tales of the Groundbound: The First Payment, Chapter 4

[steuben]

Chapter 4

Valentina, Jebediah, and Encal stood around a plane in the hanger. Four Juno engines pinched the wings on the back of the fuselage. A Reliant rocket engine stuck out of the tail. Gus walked up with a clipboard tucked under one arm.

“Okay,” he said. “This is the two seat variant of the Hopper. She’s also been stretched a bit to give her enough fuel for two hops to angels 25.” He looked at Jebediah. “Though some of you may try for a single hop to fifty. She ain’t rated for it. Not that it’ll stop you.” He took out the clipboard. “Encal you’re up in the rotation, so you get first flight. Khenry will be your REO on this one. Nothing fancy, just a couple of hops up and back down staying in local airspace. The reps from the factory will be waiting to talk to you after you land. Take-off is in two hours.”

“Good luck, Encal,” Jebediah said. “She looks like she’ll need a bit of a hand on the stick.”

“No,” Encal said. “She’ll soar like a dream.”

Two days later Valentina looked up from her typewriter after hearing a cough.

“Ma’am,” it was one of the technicians, simulation section she thought. “Sorry to bother you. But we have a problem, and we’re hoping up can help us with it.”

She recognized the tone and words. It meant they wanted to solve things quietly and unofficially, before they have to become official. She looked over at the other pilots’ desks. Neither had been touched in two days.  She knew why one of them hadn’t been. Now she knew why the other hadn’t. She stood up and followed the tech.

In the simulation room her foot glanced off an empty ration tin. It looked like the contents had been eaten cold. She looked at the settings on the console of the simulator and frowned.

“They haven’t changed in the past two days,” the tech said.

“Get the doctor down here,” Valentina said. “I’ll get him out. After the doc gets here, get these cleaned up,” she gestured at the tins on the floor.

“Yes, ma’am,” the tech said, and rushed to a phone.

The simulator bucked and trembled, as if it wanted to go one way and it was being dragged the other. She watched it until the doctor arrived.

“Be ready to sedate him, if needed.” She said to the doctor.

He just crooked an eyebrow and prepped a syringe. When he nodded she pulled the abort lever. The simulator returned to its rest state.  Valentina walked over to the hatch. The doctor followed and stayed out of the line of sight.

Jebediah stomped out. “Who the kell…“ He looked around wild eyed. “Val did you? Turn it back on Val!”

Valentina backed up a couple of steps. “No Jeb,” she said calmly. “You’ve got to get some sleep, and eat some real food.”

“No, Val,” Jebediah said. “Not until I’m done.” He wobbled slightly, but quickly caught himself. “Turn it back on Val.” He took a heavy step forward.

She took another step back. “No, Jeb.”

The doctor stood ready to put the loaded syringe in Jebediah. A can clanged off a far wall. Jebediah spun around. Valentina and the doctor both moved at the same time. She grabbed him in a bear hug and held him tightly. The doctor pushed the syringe into Jebediah’s arm.  He struggled against Valentina. She relaxed her grip as he weakened.

“You don’t need to be better than everyone, Jeb.” She said softly. “There wasn’t anything you could have done.”

“No Val,” Jebediah said, his words slurred as the drugs took effect. “Not everyone Val. Just better… Just better ‘an…  ‘an the frames.  Just the frames Val…  the frames, Val.”

Jebediah slumped against Valentina unconscious.

Edited February 15, 2017 by steuben